South Tyrol has an estimated 5,100 hectares of vineyards located mainly on hillsides or in hilly areas anywhere between 200 and 1000 meters above sea level. Some 5,000 wine-growers cultivate these vineyards, resulting in an average of about one hectare per farm. Because of the small size of many farms and the extreme terrain, the majority of grapes are grown in a costly and labour-intensive way: Depending on the training system used and the level of mechanisation, wine-growers in South Tyrol spend between 400 and 700 working hours annually on every hectare of land.
In the last few years, the mechanisation of vineyard work has increased particularly on larger farms and thanks to a system of sharing machinery between farms. Especially on small-scale farms, however, there is still a significant need to streamline cultivation procedures.
The Centre's research is geared towards finding solutions that help optimise the work flow, simple technical improvements and mechanisation options. These solutions must be ecologically sound and safe for workers while keeping in consideration the effects on grape quality.
The Technology and Management Practices department focuses on:
- mechanisation systems
- streamlining work flows
- alternatives to herbicides
- yield assessment methodology
- testing of various tools
